Japan Through the Year 2022 Calendar

Japan Calendar 2022

I’ve designed a calendar! The theme is “Japan through the year”:

• Dates of Japanese holidays, events and festivals.
• Weather each month.
• What’s special about each time of year in Japan.

UPDATE: The calendars are now sold out. Thanks so much to everyone who got one – I hope you enjoy celebrating all the Japanese holidays!

Wall Calendar

This is the first time I’ve designed a calendar! It’s something I’ve thought about for several years, but it always seemed like too much to create 12 illustrations and keep them just for the calendar. But when I came up with the theme of “Japan through the year”, I knew I had to do it!

It’s a wall calendar – each page is A4, so it’s A3 size on the wall, with a hole so you can hang it up easily. This is the style of calendar that I prefer – with space each month to add your own engagements.

Dates of Japanese Festivals in 2022

There are literally hundreds of festivals in Japan! Some are regional and some take place throughout the country. There are lots of summer matsuri, fireworks competitions, fire festivals, cherry blossom celebrations, winter and snow festivals.

I’d definitely recommend visiting a matsuri if you have the opportunity when you’re in Japan. Everyone’s welcome to come along – the atmosphere’s amazing, and there are often plenty of street food stalls with delicious treats you don’t always find elsewhere.

It’s impossible to include them all, but the calendar includes major festivals and a few that I’d recommend, not just in Tokyo but around Japan. I hope you’ll enjoy following them along throughout the year and looking up a few of them to see what’s happening that month in Japan.

This video covers some of the more obscure and unusual summer festivals (some of them are quite bizarre!):

Weather in Japan

Japan’s proud of its four distinct seasons. The climate changes dramatically throughout the year, and even from north to south as it’s such a long country. Each month of the calendar includes the average weather in Tokyo, as well as winter wonderland Hokkaido and tropical Okinawa, so you can see how the seasons change.

As a bonus extra, at the back there’s also a list of Japan’s 72 traditional micro-seasons. Their names are amazingly poetic, reflecting the changing natural world.

Seasonal Specialties

The calendar features 12 original pieces of artwork in full colour, celebrating what’s special about each season in Japan. I’ve included notes about seasonal specialties, including food and seasonal flowers.

Perfect for Planning a Trip

The calendar’s ideal for anyone planning a trip to Japan (even if it’s not in 2022). You can see when’s the best time to go, and time your trip to coincide with festivals and events that you’re interested in.

Even if you’re not planning a trip, it’s fun to follow along at home, and see what’s happening each month in Japan.

It’d also make a good Christmas present for anyone who loves Japan or is always dreaming of Tokyo!

Sold Out

The calendars are now sold out! Thank you to everyone who got one!

More Japan Gifts

If you’re looking for gifts for someone who loves Japan, take a look at my other designs – there are lots of unique items they won’t have seen anywhere else!